Gap Year Resources & Programs
Council on Standards for International Educational Travel
You (or your parents) may want to visit the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel Web site for a list of reputable international programs and providers.
The Center for Interim Programs
Founded in 1980, and with offices in New Jersey and Massachusetts, The Center for Interim Programs is a consulting service that can help you plan your gap year. The Web site offers sample programs and ideas.
Gapyear.com features a wide variety of travel and planning ideas and offers resources for further reading.
Academic year and summer programs in North America, Europe, Caribbean, Africa, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. Open to high school juniors and seniors, and college students.
Programs
- Gap Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
- Gap Latin America: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru
- Gap Asia: China, Thailand, Tibet
- Service opportunities in Latin America
- Projects include: Healthy Households/Healthy Communities, Community Nutrition, Digital Technology in Local Culture, Youth-to-Youth Community Development
- Volunteer in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America
- Opportunities in health, education, and social service fields
- Cultural activities, language training, and guest speakers
- "Home Base" program housing
- Flexible program length-1 to 12 weeks; program open to student 18+ (possibly 16-17 with permission)
The Council on International Educational Exchange
- Sites in Australia, Latin America, Europe and Asia
- Gap Year Programs
- Global Service Summer Programs, 3-4 weeks
- High School Study Abroad Programs, semester or year (open to recent HS grads)
- Academic Year Abroad, Languages Courses Abroad, Multi-Language Year Abroad
El Casal: Learning Adventures in Barcelona
- Semester programs fall and spring
- Combination of language and culture coursework in Spanish, Catalán language, and community service/internship
- Live in homestay-two or more year of Spanish required
- A division of the American Institute For Foreign Study, offering study abroad programs for high school and college-level students 17+
- Program 'Cores' in Aus/New Zealand, Latin America, and Asia may combine work, volunteer, and teaching components
- The program fee includes housing in most locations as well as a ten-stop worldwide airline ticket
- Teach English and other subjects in Africa, Asia and Latin America
- Schools are located in rural villages; teachers are assigned in pairs
- Live with a local family
- Programs in Costa Rica and Ecuador require working knowledge of Spanish; all programs open to students 17+
- Offers not-for-profit program fees for fun, rewarding, safe and affordable volunteering opportunities in developing countries around the world.
- Teach, volunteer, study, and work abroad in Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America, and Australia
- Examples of projects include: volunteering in an orphanage, environmental field work, lab work in a veterinary clinic, intensive immersion language study
- Program costs include all meals, housing, program arrangements, and 24-hour staff support; lengths vary from 1-3 months or more
- Short 2-week themed programs for students 16-19 also available
- Travel to Southern Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas
- Long (full year) or short (weeks or a few months) options
- Long programs may involve study; students in both types of programs live with host families
- Participants expected to make efforts to learn the language of their host country; open to students ages 15-19
- Gap Year or Semester program homestay and study in Vietnam emphasizing service learning in environmental science, and economics.
- Academic year programs in China, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Vietnam for high school Juniors and Seniors
- Earn U.S. high school graduation credits and receive college counseling
- Semester programs in West Africa, India, China, the Himalayas, Bolivia, Guatemala, Indonesia and Southeast Asia
- Cultural immersion programs can include internship, independent study, language training, leadership work, teaching, and work
- WTBD gives students freedom in designing their own programs
- Live in homestay; open to students ages 17-22
Summer Programs
- 3-week programs in Oceanography, based near Cape Cod, Woods Hole, MA
- Open to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, and college freshmen
- One-month summer programs in Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Turks and Caicos and Kenya
- Programs field-work, trips and lectures; focus on environmental studies
- Students 16+ are eligible to apply
